Increasingly, there is a demand for telephone services that provide easier access to a called party. For example, a new type of service is being introduced in which subscribers are provided with a single, personal telephone number used to access those subscribers regardless of their physical location. For example, callers to a personal number may automatically be connected to a business, residence, cellular or other phone, or voice messaging system, depending on where the individual they are trying to reach happens to be at the time of the call. The problem with some existing systems is that they are usually adapted to be connected externally of the telephone exchange and are therefore ill-adapted to provide efficient use of network wide features. For example, these systems cannot make use of Calling Line Identification (CLID) network features for the routing or treatment of incoming calls.
Accordingly, there is a need for a personal communication system which can be easily integrated with a network and able to offer incoming call management and communication mobility while making use of network based features.